With all the talk about government officials in Flint, no one is talking about how to actually help Flint residents get the lead out of their systems. Yes, President Obama drank the water as a testament to show that somehow it is now ‘safe’ to drink but it doesn’t take away the fact that there are real consequences that will be felt because of the negligence of the government officials that made these inconsiderate decisions.

As a mother, a taxpayer, a business owner and so many other titles, I get a feeling of distress when there is something of this magnitude affecting my community and when I say “my”, I mean Black people, the predominant population of Flint.

The magnitude of this situation, especially for the children, namely, “our future” is in the gross consequential effects of behavioral problems, brain damage, anemia, kidney problems, etc., just to name a few. Knowing these innocent children and people have been neglected because they are poor, black or both troubles me deeply.

There is no way I can sit on the sidelines and do nothing. So, with the Might of God behind me, I’ve done what has been asked. I’ve donated money and water, yet still, it doesn’t feel like that’s enough. As a community, we are lacking knowledge. The old adage, “knowledge is power’ is 100 percent true. We are also lacking the reflex­reaction of “do something”! We’ve got to stop waiting on the sidelines for others to step up to the plate and start doing for ourselves.

That leads me to this; did you know, you can remove the toxins of lead from your body naturally? I’ve been on a health conscious kick for over five years. Genetically, I have a small frame but I started getting healthy after the birth of my youngest daughter because I would break out in skin rashes while breastfeeding. I started to drink water and noticed a change in my skin after a couple of weeks. I routinely detox with a concoction of water, lemons, cucumbers and onions so it’s right up my alley to share what I know.

Also, my good friend, Dr. Joy Edwards RN, NMD, PHD, MPH, practices holistic medicine and I often seek her out as it pertains to natural remedies. As it relates to treating lead poisoning, she shares, “When discussing the potential treatment of lead poisoning one must first know what some of the signs and symptoms of lead poisoning are. One issue with this particular condition is that sometimes the symptoms are hard to identify or may be asymptomatic until the damage is actually done. However, there are things you can do now to start removing lead from your body. The first course of action, is to get a blood test to measure the amount of lead in your blood. Once you get the results, you can proceed with treatments.

“There are different treatments depending on your level of lead toxicity. The treatment also is based on if you are still in the contaminated area consuming the lead or if you are no longer exposed to the lead. Such as in cases of lead dust, or lead paint consumption, exposure, water contamination etc.”, shares Dr. Edwards.

The Normative aging study suggests that low intake of Vitamin D and Vitamin C may contribute to higher lead levels in elderly and middle age consumers. Increasing your intake of Vitamin C rich foods and taking a vitamin D supplement and consuming foods fortified with Vitamin D can assist with the bodies natural ability to remove lead from the body. You should also increase your calcium and Iron rich food intake, and use supplements that can assist with detoxing. Dr. Edwards explains, “These are things that will assist your body over time to remove lead levels. Any form of oral chelation is not an immediate fix so one must be careful if your child is exhibiting symptoms that are presenting as a sore throat, irritability, stomachache and you are aware that they have been exposed to lead.” She recommends some easy low cost ways to detox naturally with simple items from the grocery store.

● Cilantro can be put into your bottle water and consumed 3­4 times daily(take 3 stalks per bottle water). ○ you can also just chew cilantro or make a garnish on your food..

● Kale greens can be cooked or consumed raw and taken daily

● Spinach added to your eggs, spinach salads or spinach cooked with garlic with a little bit of water in a pan daily. (if you are on certain medications you may have a limit to how many servings you can have of green leafy vegetables. Please consult your physician). These greens can reduce build­up of lead in your body along with other heavy metals. *It is important to note that one should not eat canned vegetables or any canned foods as a substitute as they are filled with unnatural preservatives.

● Cook with garlic and onions daily if possible. (this helps the liver detoxify itself of heavy metals such as lead daily).

● 8 oz vegetable juice is also another healthy option daily(not canned) every two hours or filtered bottled water every two hours to flush out toxins daily. (this is great when you have continued exposure to reduce build­up) I use the following supplemental routine to detox prescribed by Dr. Joy Edwards. Keep in mind this is not to replace medical care but a preventative and complementary way to assist with the detoxification process.

● Chlorella 4­8 caps daily

● Vitamin C 3000mg daily

● Probiotics 50 billion units daily

● Milk Thistle 150 mg 2x daily

● Vitamin D 1000 ius 3 tabs daily

Conveniently, these products can be purchased low cost at your area drugstore.

While sending bottled water is good, I think sponsorships from water filtration companies, health food stores, and wellness centers should consider donations and services to the residents of Flint. The grocery store is a great place to get a lot of the above recommended natural preventative ingredients. Also recognizing key symptoms in children is important and you can find that on my blog at www.latisharobb.com. I simply want to do my part and share my knowledge. When we know better, we can do better.

Latisha Robb is an Activist, Speaker and Author of “Turn on the Lights (So You Can See)” and “What You Don’t Know About Your Soul” she speaks regularly about success and personal development. A true activist, you can find her in support of initiatives to advance African Americans and the plight of #BlackLivesMatter. www.LatishaRobb.com.